Microsoft Teams offers different ways to access, receive, and manage notifications. These settings include how, when, and where your notifications appear, custom settings for channels and chat, appearance and sounds, turning off specific messages, and so on.

To manage your notifications, select Settings and more Teams settings and more icon. at the top right of Teams, then select Settings Settings buttonNotifications and activity Activity button.

Manage General settings for notifications

In the General section of Notifications and activity you can configure notifications in several important ways, ensuring that Teams is providing you with the level of notifications and reminders that works best for you.

Manage general notifications

In the General section, you have several options to configure and customize sounds. You can also change when you want notifications to display. Your options include:

  • Mute all notifications (except for calls and meetings): Turn this setting on or off. Available on Windows only.

  • Play sounds with notifications: Every notification will include a system sound to alert you.

  • Play sounds with urgent and priority contact notifications: Differentiate messages market Urgent and notifications from priority contacts

  • Play sound with incoming calls, requests to join, and meeting start notifications: Only incoming calls, requests to join meetings, and meeting start notifications will include a system sound to alert you.

  • Show message and content previews in notifications: A short preview of the message or content will be included in the notification.

  • Show notifications during calls and meetings: Notifications will be shown even if you are in a call or meeting.

Change your sound notifications

You can adjust the sound of your Teams notifications to help you prioritize tasks and stay focused. Choose to assign different sounds to different kinds of notifications, or mute notifications when you're busy or in a meeting.

In the Sound section of Notifications and activity, you'll see dropdown menus next to the first two notification items. Select a sound from the dropdown menu, then select Play Play button to preview the sound. 

Simply select your preferred sounds for Play sounds with notifications and Play sounds for urgent and priority contact notifications, and you're all set. 

Note: Custom sounds are currently available only on Teams for Windows and web. 

Missed activity emails

In the Missed activity emails section, you’re able to set the frequency of summary emails detailing your missed activity, or turn this feature off.

Chats and channels notifications

Notifications for chats and channels can be managed at a granular level, allowing you to customize your notifications to your personal work style. In the Chats and channels sections of Notifications and activity, you can do the following: 

  • To be notified about Chat message notifications, select to have those notifications shown in the banner or turned off.

  • To be notified when you are @mentioned, use the toggle to turn these notifications on or off.

  • Additionally, you can configure @mentions for channel and team @mentions, tags, for everyone in the chat, or your personal @mentions.

  • Configure where replies to your channel posts and replies are shown.

  • Configure where likes and reactions are shown.

  • Configure where replies to your channel posts and replies are shown.

To learn more, see Customize channel notifications.​​​​​​​

Manage Meetings notifications

In the Meetings section of Notifications and activity, you can configure how notifications are shown for meeting about to start, and chat notifications during meetings.

  • Meeting start notifications can be turned on or off using the toggle.

  • Meeting chat notifications can be set to mute, unmute, or to mute until I join or send a message.

People notifications

Keep track of the status of your colleagues and contacts, and get notified when they appear available or offline. 

  • Select Manage notifications, then enter the name or names of the contacts you want to keep track of.

  • Select the correct contact(s) from the list.

  • You'll see those contacts appear below the text box. To stop tracking their status, select Turn off next to their name.

Manage Calendar notifications

In the Calendar section of Notifications and activity, you can configure how notifications are shown for new meeting invites on your calendar, updates, cancellations, and when meetings you’ve organized have been forwarded to others.

  • New invites, updates and cancellations sent to me allows you to show notifications in Activity, in Activity and banner, or turn these notifications off.

  • When people forward meetings I’ve organized allows you to show notifications in Activity, in Activity and banner, or turn these notifications off.

Manage Apps notifications

Individual apps (such as Power BI, Loop, and more) can be added to teams, and notifications can be managed and configured for each of these apps. 

  • Apps can be configured to turn the notifications for each app on or off using the toggle next to the app name.

  • Additionally, some apps may allow additional options to allow you to show notifications in Activity, in Activity and banner, or turn these notifications off.

apps notifications

Note: The Apps section will not display until individual apps have been added to Teams, and you have received your first app notification.

Channel notifications

Hover on a channel and select More options Microsoft Teams more options iconChannel notifications Activity button.

For each channel you can configure notifications in two ways:

  • For All new posts, you can select Banner and feed, Only show in feed, and Off. You may also choose to include replies by checking the Include replies box.

  • For Channel mentions, you can select Banner and feed, Only show in feed, and Off.

Note: By default, channel new post notifications are turned off, and @mentions will show in both Banner and feed. To return to default settings, select Reset to default.

channel notifications

Manage notifications from Activity

Go to Activity  Activity button on the left side of Teams and select More options  More options button. Select Notification settings  Settings button You will see the Settings > Notification and activity screen as described previously in the article.

Related topics

Best practices for Teams notifications

First things to know about notifications

Mute notifications during a meeting in Teams

Customize channel notifications in Teams

Microsoft Teams notifications on MacOS provide a seamless experience for calls, meetings, chats, channels, mentions, and apps within Teams.

Overview

  • Chats, Channels, Mentions, Apps: Teams leverages the MacOS notifications system for these notifications and you'll need to enable notifications on the OS level first.

  • Calls, Requests to Join, and Meeting Start Notifications: These notifications are not dependent on the OS-level settings, including Focus and Do Not Disturb.

Enabling OS Notifications for Microsoft Teams

Check the settings in this section to adjust your experience based on your preferences.

  1. Open MacOS System Settings (System Preferences for MacOS 12).

  2. Go to Notifications.

  3. Under Application Notifications, select Microsoft Teams.

  4. Use the toggle next to Allow notifications to turn on notifications.Mac system settings allow Microsoft Teams notifications

To learn more about how MacOS notifications work and how to change notifications settings, refer to the MacOS user guide section Change Notifications settings on Mac. Make sure to select your OS version from the dropdown menu.

Notifications when mirroring or sharing a display

When you connect your Mac to an external display or dock station, by default all notifications will land in the Mac Notifications center only. If you want to receive Teams banner notifications:

  1. Open MacOS System Settings (System Preferences in MacOS 12).

  2. Go to Notifications.

  3. Turn on the toggle next to Allow notifications when mirroring or sharing the display to receive banner notifications.

To learn more about pausing or allowing notifications when you mirror or share the display (for example, when playing a presentation), refer to MacOS user guide section Extend or mirror your Mac desktop across multiple displays. Make sure to select your OS version from the dropdown menu.

Teams notifications while Focus Mode is on

If you want to receive Teams notifications even when Do Not Disturb is active, add Teams to Allowed Apps. Please note that you need to take this step individually for each Focus scenario.

  1. Open MacOS System Settings (System Preferences in MacOS 12).

  2. Go to Focus > Focus list.

  3. Select the Focus scenario you would like to modify.

  4. Select the dropdown arrow next to Allowed Apps, then select Teams.Mac system settings for Focus time and Do not disturb notifications

  5. If you want to receive all notifications (not just from Teams), select the dropdown arrow next to Set a schedule and turn off your focus settings. 

For more details on Focus options in MacOS, refer to the MacOS user guide section Change Focus settings on Mac. Make sure to select your OS version from the dropdown menu.

Once notifications are allowed and configured at the operating system level, you can fine-tune Teams notification settings directly within the app to receive the notifications you need.

  1. In the Teams app, go to Settings and more More options button next to your profile picture, and select Settings  Settings button.

  2. Select Notifications and activity  Activity button and adjust the settings depending on your preferences.

Manage sound notifications

To receive Teams sound notifications, make sure your OS settings match your preferences and check the following OS settings:

  • Open MacOS System Settings (System Preferences in MacOS 12)

  • Go to Notifications and search for Microsoft Teams.

  • Turn on the toggle next to Play sound for notification.

Adjust the volume of sound notifications

  • Open MacOS System Settings (System Preferences in MacOS 12).

  • Go to Sound.

  • Adjust the slider next to Alert volume to match your preferences.Mac setting play Teams sounds

​​​​​​​Check device volume settings

  • Open MacOS System Settings (System Preferences in MacOS 12).

  • Go to Sound.

  • In the dropdown menu next to Play sounds effects through, select the device you'd like to use.

  • In Output and Input, select your preferred device from the list and adjust Output volume. Make sure the Mute checkbox is not selected.Mac system settings sound effects

Tip: If you’re using multiple speakers, headphones or a headset, make sure to check volume settings for each device.

For more information about sound output settings in MacOS, please refer to the MacOS user guide Change the sound output settings on Mac. Make sure to select your OS version from the dropdown menu.

Once your OS settings are configured, you can check which Teams notifications will play a sound directly in Teams app:

  • Select Settings and more  More options buttonat the top right of Teams, then select Settings  Settings button> Notifications and activity Activity button.​​​​​​​

  • If you prefer to hear the Teams sound, select the checkbox next to Use Teams sound for notifications instead of the MacOS alert sound and you’re all set.

Related topics

Best practices for Teams notifications

First things to know about notifications

Mute notifications during a meeting in Teams

Customize channel notifications in Teams

To customize your notifications, tap your profile picture at the top left of the mobile app, then select Notifications. To troubleshoot notification issues on mobile, see Troubleshoot notifications for Teams mobile apps.

Related topics

Best practices for Teams notifications

First things to know about notifications

Mute notifications during a meeting in Teams

Customize channel notifications in Teams

To customize your notifications, tap your profile picture at the top left of the mobile app, then select Notifications. To troubleshoot notification issues on mobile, see Troubleshoot notifications for Teams mobile apps.

Related topics

Best practices for Teams notifications

First things to know about notifications

Mute notifications during a meeting in Teams

Customize channel notifications in Teams

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